Having seen Volchkova live several times in competition -- Euros and Worlds 2003 and Worlds 2004 -- I would never describe her as slow. She has very efficient stroking, and can cross the ice in three-four crossovers. The camera doesn't pick this up.

While she tends to maintain the same speed throughout her SP's and most of her long, at Malmo she was ill, and really died out toward the end of her LP.

I don't think I've ever seen a skater who is faster than Kostner starts out.

Vika won 2002 Cup of Russia thanks to what random scores were dropped though I don't recall her skate being all that great (Sasha Cohen was 2nd, I forget who was 3rd!).

Irina Slutskaya was 3rd. It was her first GP that season, and she did not skate well. She had missed Campbell's in September (and was replaced by Michelle Kwan) due to what was diagnosed then as bronchitis.

Irina went on to NHK and finished 2nd. She made the GPF (which took place in February that year) but lost to Sasha. Irina's mother was very ill and in the hospital in critical condition during the GPF. Irina skipped Worlds that year because of her mother's illness. Early that summer Irina herself was diagnosed with vasculitis.